ANTECEDENTS OF DESTINATION BRAND LOYALTY FOR A LONG-HAUL MARKET: AUSTRALIA'S DESTINATION LOYALTY AMONG CHILEAN TRAVELERS

Limited extant research examines Latin American consumers' perceptions of holiday destinations. This article measures destination brand equity for Australia as a long-haul destination in the emerging Chilean market. Specifically, it develops a model of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) to explain attitudinal destination loyalty. The proposed model is tested using data from a sample of Chilean travelers. The findings suggest that brand salience, brand image, and brand value are positively related to brand loyalty for Australia. Further, while brand salience for Australia is strong, as a long-haul destination the country faces significant challenges in converting awareness into intent to visit. Australia is a more compelling destination brand for previous visitors than nonvisitors. This implies that a word-of-mouth recommendation from previous visitors, a key component of attitudinal loyalty, is a positive indicator of future growth opportunities for Australia's destination marketers to capitalize on.